April 10, 2024

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Today’s Forecast

71º | 60% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 7:03 a.m. | Sunset 7:59 p.m.

🧺 Life’s a picnic

A wicker picnic basket sits on top of a blue plaid blanket on grass.

Pack a basket for an al fresco experience. | Photo by @ashevillepictures, via @ashevillepicnic

Okay, this week is proving a little wet and chilly — but pretty soon, spring will be in full swing. So pack your baskets with snacks + blankets, and save this list for later. Because we’ve gathered a list of a few of our favorite nearby picnic spots for the warmer (and drier) days ahead.

Botanical Gardens at Asheville, 151 WT Weaver Blvd.
This easily accessible spot is ideal for lunching and learning about native plants and flowers, whether in the sunshine or in the shade. The gardens are open from sunrise to sunset every day, with parking and restrooms on-site.

Hominy Creek River Park, 220 Hominy Creek Rd.
One of the county’s seven river parks, the waterfront spot is perfect for picturesque picnicking. Claim a table, grab a grill, or simply find a clear spot on the grass. And if you follow the creek a little north, you can set up instead at the city’s Hominy Creek Greenway.

North Carolina Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way
If it’s spring beauty you’re looking for, then the Arboretum is a good place to start. Bring your own basket of goodies to set up around the garden or on the lawn, or get some to-go food from the bistro.

People enjoying a picnic at a concrete picnic table, surrounded by yellow flowers. — Surround yourself in the wildflower blooms at Craggy Gardens.
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Photo by National Park Service

Lake Julian Park, 406 Overlook Rd., Arden
We do love a good place for waterfront dining. But Lake Julian offers more than that — post-picnic, you can enjoy disc golf, a playground, and even paddleboats.

Bearwallow Mountain, 4854 Bearwallow Mountain Rd., Hendersonville
The easy (although quite vertical) two-mile-round-trip hike takes you up to a gorgeous meadow with sweeping views. Just be warned: In the summer, you might be sharing your snacks with the mountain’s bovine residents.

Now if packing your own basket doesn’t appeal, then there are plenty of local shops and eateries to lighten the culinary load. Grab a premade basket from The Rhu, get some charcuterie to go from South Slope Cheese Co., or explore an inexpensive local lunch choice.

5 more spots to spread a blanket

Events

Wednesday, April 10

Walk Through History | Wednesday, April 10 | 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. | Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, 223 W. State St., Black Mountain | $25-$35 | Celebrate the centennial of E.W. Grove’s Grovemont-on-Swannanoa, the country’s first planned community.
Sound Lab | Wednesday, April 10 | 4-5 p.m. | Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain | Free | Meet the musicians from the Junior Appalachian Musicians program and get an introduction to their instruments as part of the One Book, One Buncombe series.
Citizen Swing | Wednesday, April 10 | 6 p.m. | Citizen Vinyl, 14 O. Henry Ave., Asheville | Free | Grab a cocktail and listen to old jazz vinyl before local talents Connor Law and Patrick Lopez take the stage.

Thursday, April 11

Mental Health on Tap | Thursday, April 11 | 5-7 p.m. | Burial Beer Co. Forestry Camp Taproom, 10 Shady Oak Dr., Asheville | Free | Kick off the National Alliance on Mental Illness Walk with community connections, support, and a drink or two.
Saplings to Scholars | Thursday, April 11 | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Rd., Swannanoa | $125 | Support Verner Center for Early Learning with an elevated, three-course, farm-to-table experience by the center’s chef and director of food + nutrition.

Friday, April 12

Art in the Park | Friday, April 12 | 5-7 p.m. | Montford Park, 345 Montford Ave., Asheville | $10 | Harness your creativity for an evening of painting with other artists ages 40+ — all materials are provided and registration is required.
Matilda the Musical | Friday, April 12-Sunday, May 5 | Times vary | Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E. Walnut St., Asheville | $18-$36.50 | Unleash your imagination on opening night of this adaptation of Roald Dahl’s story of a young, sharp-witted heroine with psychokinetic powers.

Saturday, April 13

Hair of the Dog Comedy Brunch | Saturday, April 13 | 1-2:30 p.m. | Catawba Brewing Company South Slope, 32 Banks Ave., Asheville | $18 | Start your recovery from Friday night revelry with laughs, beer, and coffee + doughnuts from Vortex Doughnuts.
Truck City AVL | Saturday, April 13 | 1-4 p.m. | Tanger Outlets Asheville, 800 Brevard Rd., Asheville | Free | Kids and adults alike can get an up-close look at buses, construction + rescue vehicles, tractors, and more.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Open

Asheville is home to two new food trucks. Native Nummies will be in rotation at 7 Clans Brewing to serve fry bread, a staple dish of owner Jennifer King’s Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma community. You can also visit Catawba Brewing Co. on Thursday-Sunday to try Yalla’s Middle Eastern street food. (Mountain Xpress)

Outdoors

In partnership with the French Broad River MPO, the City of Asheville is hosting a drop-in open house for the Reed Creek Greenway Feasibility Study. Tomorrow, April 11, stop by Montford North Star Academy for more info on the extension project and to participate in the planning process.

Cause

Fundraising for United Stroke Alliance and Asheville on Bikes is on a roll. The annual benefit concert, Pedal Stroke, will take place this Sunday, April 14 at Highland Brewing Company. Reserve your spot for music by Several Dudes + Karma Dogs, food trucks, brews, and support for the two nonprofits.

Civic

Yesterday, nine local civic and nonprofit groups announced a petition that calls for the Asheville City Council to adopt four budget priorities, including a living wage for City workers and an emergency rental assistance program. Learn about the petition, and see the status of the City’s 2024-25 budget development.

Film

Lights, camera, and Asheville action. AsheFemme Films will showcase locally written and produced short films and music videos at Grail Moviehouse on Monday, April 29. Grab your tickets to see the work and join a Q+A with the filmmakers.

Holiday

Happy Eid. It’s Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan. Also called the Sweet Eid or Sugar Feast, those fasting during this past month will enjoy a meal + plenty of sweets. Grab your baklava at Filo or Well-Bred Bakery & Cafe.

Environment

This summer, the NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services is hosting a week-long Resource Conversation Workshop for high school students, and Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District will cover the registration and food costs for two local students. Apply for the program by Wednesday, May 1.

Featured Home

This stunning 5 Bd, 4 Ba home in the Village of Cheshire checks all the boxes, including an incredible custom kitchen, a stone-wrapped fireplace, and wood accents throughout. See for yourself.*

Try This

We recently caught two unique, can’t-miss exhibitions at the Columbia Museum of Art. We loved “Interior Lives” and “Darrel Ellis: Regeneration,” and we think you will too — here’s why.*

Finance

Cue drum roll. 2024 is here, and the personal finance experts at The Ascent have sorted through hundreds of credit cards to do the work for you. Presenting: These four credit cards, among the best bonus cards the experts have ever seen.*

Answered

How would you fill the Coxe Avenue development’s commercial space?

Rendering of proposed affordable housing at 50 and 52 Coxe Avenue — The Coxe Avenue development includes affordable housing units and commercial space.
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Rendering by Mcmillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, via Buncombe County

Last week, we shared the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners’ concept for the affordable housing development at 50-52 Coxe Ave. The board decided on the $59.1 million plan with 200 affordable units and 5,900 sqft of potential commercial space — so we asked you to be the broker. We suggested some options, and let you pick as many as you saw fit.

To fill this commercial space, 56.2% of readers answered that community services should take up residence. Restaurants were the preference of 41.2% of readers, retail was the answer for 39.4%, and offices were the choice for 11.9%.

“Other” was also an option, though. And a few readers had their own ideas for tenancies:

“Childcare for 1st and 2nd shift workers.”
“Coworking space, affordable artist studio space.”
“I would love to see an open air market where everyone brings their goods.”
“Entertainment: movies, arcades, bowling, fitness, skating rink, etc.”
“A huge pool for the community.”
“Useful offices (medical, dental, wellness, etc.) and community services.”

See the plan for Coxe Avenue

The Buy

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Molly

From the editor

Part of enjoying these beautiful picnic spots is keeping them pristine for everyone. That always involves picking up after yourself — but you’ve also got a chance to take that care even further. RiverLink, Wildlands Engineering, and Friends of Hominy Creek Greenway are hosting a special volunteer workday this Sunday, April 14 at the Sand Hill Road entrance to the greenway. Stop by to help plant native vegetation along a new section of trail.

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